1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to compositions used topically to treat viral, bacterial and fungal infections of the skin and mucosa. More specifically, the present invention relates to topical compositions that combine anti-microbial agents with immunostimulants and antioxidants.
2. Description of Related Art
There are many types of infectious conditions that can effect the skin and/or mucosa. Some infectious conditions are caused by bacteria, such as staph infections. Some infectious conditions are caused by viral infections, such as herpes. Still other infectious conditions are fungal in nature, such as ringworm and athlete's foot.
There are many infectious conditions that are difficult to treat. Many infections of the skin and mucosa have become resistant to common antibiotics. Viral pathogens are difficult and sometimes impossible to completely eradicate with any known medications. Furthermore, persons with many conditions, such as AIDs, chemotherapy patients, transplant patients, lupus, chronic hepatitis, alcoholic cirrhosis, leukemia, Hodgkin's disease and the like, have compromised immune systems that make treating even simple infections a complicated endeavor.
There are thousands of pathogenic organisms that can effect the skin or the mucosa. For example, athlete's foot (tinea pedis) can be caused by any of four pathogenic organisms. These organisms include epidermophyton floccosum, trichophyton rubrum, candida albians and trichophyton mentagrophytes. Accordingly, when a topical cream is used to treat pathogenic organisms, that cream must have an effect on a wide variety of pathogens in order to be effective.
In the prior art, there exist many compositions that are used to treat different types of pathogenic organisms effecting the skin or mucosa. Most commonly, prior art compositions are dedicated to treating a certain family of pathogenic organism, be that family viral, bacterial or fungal in nature. Few compositions have both the anti-microbial properties and anti-fungal properties needed to treat viral, bacterial and fungal infections. Of the compositions that do exist, they tend to be highly toxic to all living matter, including the living cells of body tissue. Accordingly, when topically applied, such wide-base antimicrobials and antifungals have a tendency to cause damage and inflammation.
Tea tree oil is the extract oil of the plant species Melaleuca Alternifolia. It has both antimicrobial and antifungal properties. However, its antimicrobial properties are limited. The melaleuca alternifolia is a shrub-like tree that is indigenous to the swampy north costal regions of Australia. The British Pharmaceutical Codex of 1949 lists melaleuca alternifolia as oleum melaleuca consisting of terpinenes, cymene, pinene, 1-trepinen-e-ol, cineole, sequiterpenes and sesquiterpene alcohols. Extract oil of melaleuca alternifolia is an oil that is extracted using a steam distillation technique. One kilogram of foliage produces between 12 grams and 25 grams of extract oil after distillation. Various compositions containing the extract oil, commonly known as tea tree oil, have been used as a topical medication for over a century.
Currently, there are United States patents that use compositions containing melaleuca alternifolia extract oil for the treatment of sunburn, gingivitis, and flea infestation. A typical example of the use of tea tree oil in a topical application is shown in U.S. Pat. No. 5,894,020 to Concha, entitled Soap Composition Containing Antifungal Agent, wherein tea tree oil is used to treat athlete's foot.
The present invention discloses a composition that uses tea tree oil in combination with other active ingredients that enhances the ability of the tea tree oil to effectively treat viral, bacterial and fungal infections. The result is a topical treatment that is highly effective against a wide range of infections, yet is hypoallergenic, and does not cause inflammation to the tissue when topically applied. This composition is described and claimed below.